Keeper timer setting
T5 UVB: one hour later on, one hour earlier off
During active care — ON: 1 hour after daylight starts.
OFF: 1 hour before daylight ends.
During hibernation / full brumation: T5 UVB OFF (0 hours). In transition months, keep UVB off while dormant and use the active timer only once the animal is warmed and active.
October: daylight 10.5 h; T5 UVB 8 h 30 m.
The active T5 duration is the photoperiod minus two hours. Example: daylight 08:00–20:00 means UVB 09:00–19:00. Follow the monthly UVI strength measured beneath the tube and provide access to shade. This timing rule does not introduce hibernation for species whose schedule has only a mild or active winter rest. If an older combined heat / UV column is present, the new T5 UVB duration column governs UVB timing; existing heat settings are preserved.
UVI beneath the optional T5 tube
Working exposure targetOctober target at normal back height
UVI 2directly under the tube when it is on
The UVI column now gives only the optional indoor/backup T5 target. Outdoors, actual unfiltered sunlight varies with weather, time and shade; it is not fixed at 2-3. The Netherlands outdoor schedule and its heat/weather precautions are preserved.
Your measuring point
Measure at the animal's normal back height directly beneath the brightest accessible part of the T5 strip, positioned toward the middle/back. The animal can enter and leave this area freely.
Keep a lower-UVI gradient and fully covered refuges near UVI 0. This is the optional exposure area, not the average across the cage.
Use a UV Index meter, such as a Solarmeter 6.5/6.5R. Warm the tube for about 30 minutes; keep reflector, guards and mesh in place. Raise or lower the fixture within its manufacturer's minimum-distance guidance, then recheck the reading and every higher accessible surface.
Evidence level: Definition correction. These are working recommendations, often inferred; exact species optima and seasonal UV dose usually have not been measured. Log lamp-on time and animal behaviour as well as UVI.
Baines et al. (2016), UV-Tool · Muryn, Baines and Dishman (2026), Reptile Lighting Guide V10
October management
Selected automatically using the Netherlands date
Peak hatchling period
Cool high-elevation shola-grassland and moist montane forest - Netherlands-adapted outdoor protocol
14-20 CDay ambient
8-12 CNight
28-30 CBasking
2T5 UVI*
10.5 hPhotoperiod
8 h 30 mT5 UVB duration
75-88 / 85-95%RH day / night
Frequent rain/mistSpray / rain
4Food offers
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day ambient | Night | Basking | T5 UVI* | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | RH day / night | Spray / rain | Food offers | Status / breeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18-21 C | 8-11 C | 28-30 C | 2 | 8 h | 6 h | 55-70 / 70-85% | Light 1-2x/wk | 3 | Cool / dry rest |
| February | 19-22 C | 8-12 C | 29-31 C | 2 | 9.5 h | 7 h 30 m | 50-65 / 65-80% | Light 1-2x/wk | 3 | Conditioning |
| March | 20-23 C | 10-13 C | 30-32 C | 2-3 | 12 h | 10 h | 50-65 / 65-80% | Mist 2x/wk | 3-4 | Breeding build-up |
| April | 18-23 C | 8-13 C | 30-32 C | 2-3 | 14 h | 12 h | 55-70 / 70-85% | Mist 2-3x/wk | 4 | Outdoor if mild; breeding / laying |
| May | 18-24 C | 10-15 C | 30-32 C | 2-3 | 16 h | 14 h | 60-75 / 75-88% | Rain/mist 3x/wk | 4 | Active / repeat clutch possible |
| June | 19-24 C | 11-16 C | 29-31 C | 2-3 | 16.5 h | 14 h 30 m | 60-75 / 75-88% | Rain/mist 3-4x/wk | 4 | Outdoor summer active |
| July | 19-24 C | 12-16 C | 28-31 C | 2-3 | 16 h | 14 h | 60-75 / 75-88% | Rain/mist 3-4x/wk | 4 | Outdoor summer active |
| August | 18-24 C | 11-15 C | 28-31 C | 2-3 | 14.5 h | 12 h 30 m | 65-80 / 80-90% | Rain/mist 4x/wk | 4 | Rain increasing |
| September | 16-21 C | 9-13 C | 28-30 C | 2-3 | 12.5 h | 10 h 30 m | 75-85 / 85-95% | Rain/mist 5-6x/wk | 4 | Cool humid phase / hatchlings begin |
| October | 14-20 C | 8-12 C | 28-30 C | 2 | 10.5 h | 8 h 30 m | 75-88 / 85-95% | Frequent rain/mist | 4 | Peak hatchling period |
| November | 16-20 C | 8-11 C | 28-30 C | 2 | 9 h | 7 h | 65-80 / 80-90% | Mist 2-3x/wk | 3-4 | Usually indoors; drying / cooling |
| December | 18-21 C | 8-11 C | 28-30 C | 2 | 8 h | 6 h | 55-70 / 70-85% | Light 1-2x/wk | 3 | Cool / dry rest |
Keeper notes
Use measured gradients and animal behaviour, not single thermostat readings
T5 UVI measurement
Measure UVI at normal back height directly beneath the brightest accessible part of the optional T5 strip. Place the strip toward the middle/back with free access to and away from it; preserve a gradient into fully covered refuges near UVI 0. These numbers describe the exposure area, not the whole enclosure or a daily average.
UVI review
The UVI column now gives only the optional indoor/backup T5 target. Outdoors, actual unfiltered sunlight varies with weather, time and shade; it is not fixed at 2-3. The Netherlands outdoor schedule and its heat/weather precautions are preserved.
Netherlands adaptation
This version is specifically designed for animals kept outdoors in the Netherlands from roughly April to October/November. It preserves the biological sequence but does not force the native June-August cool monsoon onto the warmest Dutch months.
Outdoor transitions
April and November are weather-dependent. Move animals outside only when conditions are stable and night lows are around 8 C or above. Keep an indoor backup ready for cold snaps, storms and summer heatwaves.
Summer management
Normal Dutch summer weather around 18-25 C is appropriate. At 26-28 C, maximize shade and airflow. If shaded enclosure air approaches/exceeds about 28 C, provide access to a substantially cooler refuge or move animals indoors. Do not leave them exposed during 30 C+ heatwave conditions unless a reliably cooler microclimate is verified.
Rain / humidity
June-August is treated as the warm active phase with moderate rainfall. September-October becomes the coolest and wettest monsoon-like period, better matching Dutch outdoor conditions and the species' autumn hatchling pattern.
Photoperiod
Outdoor months follow approximate Dutch natural daylight rather than Nilgiri day length. Indoor lighting should transition gradually toward and away from natural outdoor photoperiod.
Reproduction
April remains the main expected laying period from published Salea literature, but later gravidity is documented. Maintain a usable nest site from March through September.
Heat warning
This is a cool montane agamid. Shaded-air temperature is the critical summer measurement. A 28 C shaded-air trigger is a conservative husbandry rule, not a published lethal limit.